"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'" - John 6:35

Electricity had just arrived two years earlier, there was no hot water in the hotel and not much of anything else either. I was setting up an opportunity for a couple to do church planting among the Burriat people in Siberia. You had to be down early for breakfast as things like coffee were in short supply. The menu consisted of a slice of Russian bread, no spreads, a hard boiled egg and a piece of cheese. Arriving late meant no coffee, thus getting down the dry food posed a challenge.

My mind began to wander back to my days as a young man in New Zealand doing a double shift job in the city. In the early hours of the morning, the city bakery would start up and the delightful smell of freshly baked bread would waft over the whole inner city. On occasion I'd go down and buy some. It was so light and fluffy, almost like candy-floss, one could eat a whole loaf!But I wasn't in New Zealand, I was sitting in back blocks of Soviet Siberia with dry Russian bread, and thinking of the delicious bread back home, the vivid contrast was whirling around in my head.

I began to be aware that the Lord was speaking to me and getting my attention about fresh bread.Lines are not uncommon at the hot bread shop, but by contrast, no one would be lining up at the supermarket.

The Lord was trying to show me that the Christian who has a vital love relationship with Jesus is like the "Hot Bread Shop". His habit is to eat fresh bread every morning so he has plenty to give to the hungry. The way he gets this "fresh bread" every morning is by his time alone with God, reading scripture and listening to God. When hungry people take all the bread you've got, the Holy Spirit just replenishes the shelves. Christians who live Spirit-filled lives often easily attract others because they're generally happy, positive sorts who enjoy life, and are willing to share. They have something worth giving because they've been in touch with Jesus; they've heard from heaven. He gives the daily bread, you just pass it on!

If the bread we've got is not fresh, then not too many people are going to be queuing up at our shop!